1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Pachinko games and, in particular, to a Pachinko stand-alone game and to a Pachinko bonus game for an underlying game such as a slot machine.
2. Statement of the Problem
Slot machine bonusing features have become popular, and examples of their success include WHEEL OF GOLD, WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY!, REEL xe2x80x98EM IN, PIGGY BANKINxe2x80x99, and many others. What has been heretofore lacking is a bonus game which utilizes the excitement and dynamic qualities of Pachinko. A need exists to provide a form of Pachinko as a bonus game for an underlying game such as a slot machine.
One problem associated with Pachinko games, in general, is that wear and tear caused by repeated play causes bias to occur wherein a ball may more frequently pass through certain lanes rather than through other lanes. A need exists to provide random payoffs during the play of Pachinko whether as a bonus game for an underlying game or as a stand-alone game despite bias caused by wear and tear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,879 provides a Pachinko game wherein one of a fixed set of scoring value symbols (i.e., the $100, plum and cherry symbols as shown in FIG. 4) associated with each scoring slot is selectively illuminated for the entire game. A random number generator has a plurality of numbers which are assigned to each of the value symbols so that at the insertion of a bet, the random number generator identifies which of the three possible value symbols will be active in each scoring slot for that particular game. While this solves the above-stated need to overcome bias, it limits payoff to a fixed or static number of value symbols provided at each slot. Once a set of values are allocated, the random selection merely reassigns the allocated values to new scoring slots in the next game. In order to provide a higher payoff, the ""879 patent provides a xe2x80x9cfreexe2x80x9d game. If during the xe2x80x9cfreexe2x80x9d game the player hits a back-to-back jackpot, then a large payoff is made. For example, when the player receives three xe2x80x9c100s,xe2x80x9d the player receives a xe2x80x9cfreexe2x80x9d game. In the xe2x80x9cfreexe2x80x9d game, if the player again receives three xe2x80x9c100s,xe2x80x9d the player wins the large payoff. A need exists to provide a Pachinko game that does not provide a static number of payoff value symbols for each slot and also provides a full range of higher payoff awards without the requirement of a xe2x80x9cfreexe2x80x9d game. A need also exists to provide displayed payoff values at each lane that change during the play of the game.
Finally, a need also exists to provide additional excitement to the conventional play of a game such as video poker, slot machines and the like by providing additional random play in the dispensing of different values when a winning combination on the game is obtained.
The present invention addresses the aforesaid needs. The Pachinko bonus game of the present invention is placed near an existing slot machine such as on top of, at the rear of, side-by-side with, or located near (such as on a wall). The Pachinko bonus game is started when an initiation condition such as when a symbol or combination of symbols align on the payline of the slot machine. The payoff selection and display on a per game basis is random so that biasing caused by wear and tear is eliminated whether the Pachinko game is played as a bonus game or as a stand-alone game. The Pachinko game can be used to dispense large payoffs periodically as well as smaller payoffs for conventional winning combinations of the underlying game. Finally, the payoff values displayed at the Pachinko game can vary during the play of the game.
The present invention pertains to a Pachinko bonus game system for an underlying game machine (such as a slot machine) being played by a player. The underlying game machine has a credit meter. The Pachinko bonus game system provides a playing field wherein the playing field has a plurality of rows of pegs with each row of pegs staggered from each adjacent row. A ball is launched onto the playing field by a launch mechanism. The launching or propelling of the ball onto the playing field occurs when an initiate condition occurs during play of the underlying game. In the case of a slot machine, the initiate condition can be the appearance of a special symbol on the payline. A number of different initiate conditions can be utilized based upon the underlying game. A row of lanes are provided on the playing field. The ball, after traversing among the pegs on the playing field, eventually travels through one of the lanes. At each lane is displayed a bonus payoff value. The lane the ball travels through senses the presence of the ball and the value displayed for that lane is added to the credit meter. The bonus payoff values are displayed at each lane with a flush mounted display so as not to interfere with or impede the travel of the ball through the lane. The bonus payoff values are randomly changed which would eliminate any mechanical bias present in the Pachinko game. The payoff values can also change during play of the game.
The Pachinko stand-alone game operates independently of an underlying game and is conventionally activated by a player to play the game. However, the playing field, ball, launch mechanism, rows of lanes, and the payoff display are as described above for the Pachinko bonus game with the exception of the credit meters in the Pachinko stand-alone game.
And in yet another embodiment of the present invention, the Pachinko game system operates as a payoff dispenser for a conventional game.